This invention relates to a process for producing fatty acid salts and esters thereof from primary aliphatic alcohols of the structure RCH.sub.2 OH, where R denotes alkyl, by alkaline fusion in the presence of zinc or zinc compounds.
It is known that primary aliphatic alcohols or aldehydes, upon heating with sodium hydroxide to 260.degree.- 300.degree. C., produce sodium salts of corresponding fatty acids as indicated by the following equation: EQU RCH.sub.2 OH + NaOH .fwdarw. RCOONa + 2H.sub.2
it is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2384817 that 38% sodium hydroxide solution is used for this reaction by utilizing metal oxides such as cadmium oxide, copper oxide, or nickel oxide as the catalyst. This reaction, however, has been found to be unsuitable for commercial production of certain desirable fatty acid salts.